Eye for an Eye
by theshadowcat
Summary: Sequel to 'Eye of the Beholder'. It's payback time.
1. Going on Vacation

**Disclaimer** – Just like every other fanfiction I've written, I don't own any of the X-Men characters and I'm not making any money off of this. This is for my own twisted sense of fun and I'll put the characters back just as soon as I'm done tormen...I mean, playing with them. However, Serena is mine, please don't use her.

**Author's Notes** – At long last, I've finally gotten my act in gear and I'm writing again. I'm very sorry those who've been patiently waiting. I'm currently in training to do my first 100 mile bike ride and I think my muse has ridden off into the sunset. You can read about why I'm doing it on my author's page. This story is a sequel to _'Eye of the Beholder'_ and if you haven't read that story yet, you're going to be pretty damn confused. Please leave a review when you're done reading.

* * *

The slight shaking of the bed wakes him and he carefully slits an eye open. A tired and self satisfied smile stretches his lips as he watches his lady love stagger across the room towards the lavatory. The fact that she's only wearing what she was born in makes his grin grow even more.

He sighs with contentment as he continues to gaze at the now shut bathroom door. He could really get used to waking up every morning with her beside him, but she has yet to set a date. He closes his eyes to await her return to bed only to realize that even mutants with amazing super human abilities can't ignore the demands of their bladder.

After a good sized yawn and stretch, he climbs out of his bed and heads off to his apartment's other bathroom. By the time he returns, she's back in bed and the little minx has absconded with his pillow. He never thought he'd be jealous of a piece of bedding, but the way she's cuddling his pillow with her nose pushed into the fibers makes him want to tear the thing to shreds.

Instead of giving in to the urge to cause mayhem to his own property, he mentally pushes Beast back and stares down this beauty before him. She's laying on her right, so he can easily see her left hand clutching the pillow in the early morning light and he grins. The diamond ring with opal chips surrounding it cost a small fortune, but it was well worth the expense to see her wearing it.

"What are you so smug about?" she croaks, her voice still raw from the workout they gave it last night and very early this morning.

"Just thinking about when you accepted my marriage proposal," he answers, his voice a soft, sexy rumble.

"Are you talking about when I called my parents or afterwards?" she questions as she finally turns her head to look up at him.

"Yes," he replies with an even bigger grin on his face.

"Beast," she grumbles just before letting out a huge yawn.

"Not yet, I'm not," he playfully growls as he crawls back into bed with her and spoons her from behind.

She lets out a little giggle as his nose burrows its way into her tangled hair, but it quickly turns to a gasp as his hand finds just the right spot. His lips start to work their magic on her and she moans with pleasure. She pushes her hips back into his growing need and he lets out a groan of his own.

She keeps grinding her hips into him and his lips and hands begin to drive her crazy with want. He knows exactly where to touch her and how to drive her absolutely insane with passion and prides himself on being able to work her into a frenzy within a matter of minutes. Of course, she's not so bad in lowering his IQ until it's close to his shoe size as she continues to writhe around, rubbing herself against him.

With an impatient growl, he feels Beast encouraging him along and he can't stop himself from claiming his Mate. He wraps his left arm around her middle as he pushes himself up onto his knees with his right, dragging her up with him. Before giving her a chance to recover from her sudden position change, he slides into her and sets an insane pace.

Her cries echo off of the bedroom walls as she pushes her hands into the mattress and arches her back to give him better access. He carefully grasps her hips in both hands and barely manages to keep control of his body. It doesn't help his self control as she wantonly calls his name at the top of her lungs.

With a scream, her body convulses and it's more than he can take. He lets out a roar of his own and it's only because of his mutation that he manages to catch himself before falling on her. With trembling muscles, he gets the two of them laying back down, cuddled together.

With a contented sigh, she snuggles closer as her left hand rests in the middle of his chest. He gently strokes her arm as he admires the ring on her hand. A happy smile stretches his lips and then a memory makes hims softly chuckle.

"What's got you so amused?" she mumbles, her face half buried in the fur on his neck.

"Just remembering the phone call to your mother after you accepted my ring," he softly replies and he can't help quietly laughing as she lets out a groan and pushes her face further into his fur.

"Now there was the scream that was heard around the world," she grumbles.

"While her response was rather...vocal, I doubt that the entire world heard it," he points out while he holds her close. "At least she was happy for you, despite how upset she was when she found out that we didn't go straight home after leaving her place last Christmas."

"And at least she didn't ambush us with a surprise engagement party," she counters smugly and it's his turn to groan.

"Now there's an Easter I'd sooner forget," he grouses while she wiggles around to get more comfortable.

"Did you know that your parents even _knew_ that many people?" she inquires, amusement very evident in her voice.

"I think my mother must have put an ad in a national newspaper," he huffs and she snickers. "Yes, well, at least my mother didn't subscribe me to every wedding magazine known to human kind."

"Ok, now you _are_ being a beast," she play snarls at him and nips him on the chin.

"Careful, my love," he warns as he quickly pins her hands above her head and rolls partially on top of her. "I barely kept Beast in check this last time."

"I know," she whispers as she cranes her neck to get her head up to kiss where she bit him. "I love it when the two of you work together to make me happy. Make me happy again."

"You're insatiable," he moans as he can feel blood starting to move south again, but slowly. "We've made love three times in the last eight hours, my love, it may take a while got get back into, ahem, shape."

"Take your time," she replies in a husky voice. "I love it when you take your time."

"As my lady commands," he purrs.

He then spends quite some time satiating both of them. By the time he's done, she's quickly falling asleep again and he gladly cuddles up with her to get a bit more rest himself. Too bad he forgot that he had set his alarm.

* * *

He stands and watches the sun rise over the redwood trees that line the property and smiles. Today is the day. After months of planning and plotting and the occasional set back, today all of their hard work will see fruition. With a sigh of contentment, he goes off to make sure that the final preparations are in place before their very _special_ guests arrive.

* * *

"Will you please stop squirming?" he quietly requests. "The five year old a few rows over is sitting quieter than you."

"I can't help it," she huffs as she tries to stop fidgeting. "I've never been to California before. How did you talk Mr. Jones into giving me an extra day off?"

"I asked him very nicely," he replies. "He's an extremely pleasant gentleman. Besides, he still feels guilty about the whole thing with James."

"You did not bring up that whole stupid masquerade ball, did you?" she demands. "It took me ages to get him to stop apologizing for setting me up on that date."

"No, I did not, he did," he responds, draping his arm over the back of the chair while he keeps an eye on the podium, waiting for them to call people to board the plane. "I just simply told him I wanted to whisk you away to someplace that you hadn't been before. Someplace romantic."

"And nothing says romance like Oakland, California," she states with a grin.

"Minx," he sighs. "Very well, since you're so intent on ruining your surprise, we're flying into Oakland because it's easier to get to Napa Valley from there since they're still repairing the Golden Gate Bridge."

"Napa Valley?" she gasps as her eyes get huge. "As in vineyards and wine tasting and day spas and deluxe resorts? That Napa Valley?"

"Is there any other?" he asks with a huge grin.

She barely manages to restrain a squeal of delight as she throws her arms around his neck and kisses him soundly.

"I love you," she whispers when they finally come up for air.

"If you keep kissing me like that, we'll never get out of our room," he warns breathlessly.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," she chuckles with a wicked grin on her face and suggestively wiggling eyebrows.

"Minx," he playfully growls.

Fortunately for both his sanity and his dignity, they announce that they're almost ready to start boarding the plane.

* * *

"Are y'all sure about this?" she asks.

"Absolutely," Kitty replies as she sits down on Rogue's bed. "It's been ages since we tried to pull something on Wolvie. He won't be expecting a thing."

"But is it going to work?" Serena questions. "How can you be so sure Rogue's going to be able to control your powers as well as you do."

"My powers aren't exactly as complicated as yours, Serena," Kitty answers with a smile. "You better get moving if you're going to help Jubilee create an alibi."

Serena gives one last worried glance at Rogue and Kitty and then heads out.

"Ah'm not sure this is gonna work," Rogue states as she nervously plays with her gloves. "Wolvie will know ya're evolved somehow an' then y'all be back ta bein' his slave."

"Will you relax?" Kitty chuckles while she leans back on the bed. "You were in his room earlier, so only your scent will be in there. There's no way he'll be able to figure out I had anything to do with it."

Rogue just gives her a doubtful glance and then starts to pace back and forth. Kitty just smiles and quietly waits. A minute later she can hear the pipes in the floor shudder and she grins at Rogue.

"Ok, let me check to see if the coast is clear and then you can do your thing," Kitty instructs as she slides off the bed onto her hands and knees.

She quickly sticks her head through the floor boards and then disappears up to her waist as she checks to see where Logan is. She quickly sits back up after being like that for a few seconds. Her face is bright pink, her eyes are bit wide and she's got a huge grin on her face.

"His uniform doesn't do him justice," Kitty states as she gets back on the bed and holds out her hand. "He was heading for the bathroom, so he should be in the shower by now. Hurry up."

Rogue quickly pulls her glove off and then takes Kitty's hand. In a flash, Kitty's memories are hers as well as her powers. After Rogue is sure she has pulled just enough to use them for the short time she needs them, she lets go and quickly pulls her glove back on. Kitty looks a little dazed and is a bit wobbly, but she appears to be ok.

"I'm fine," Kitty assures her friend. "Now go before you run out of time."

With a nod, Rogue grabs the suit laying on Serena's bed, disappears through the floor and lands with a soft 'thump' in Logan's room. Rogue holds perfectly still until she's sure she wasn't heard, drops the suit on his bed and then quickly heads for Logan's dresser. Starting with the bottom drawer, she scoops the clothes out and then shoves them through the floor. Not chancing that moving the drawers back in place will alert Logan that there's someone in his room, she leaves them open.

She moves as quickly and as quietly as she can to empty the bureau and then moves on to the closet. She gets the last of the clothes phased through the floor and then tip toes for the door, passing right through the bed. The shower turns off just before she reaches her escape and she doesn't even bother with the door knob.

She bolts through the door and runs as fast as she can up the stairs for the girl's wing. She doesn't stop until she's back in her room with her heart pounding against her ribs. She quickly plops herself down on her bed and a moment later there's a loud roar below her.

Clamping her hands over her mouth, she falls back on her bed and tries to contain the laughter. She's gasping for air through her fingers when she hears the bedroom door below her slam open. She quickly grabs a book and arranges herself on her bed to make it look like she's been reading for a while.

She can hear Wolverine bellow his warning that he's coming up just as she realizes the book is upside down. She gets the book right side up as the sound of heavy footsteps approach her door. She barely manages to keep a neutral look on her face as her door is slammed open with enough force to make it bounce off the wall.

"Ever heard o' knockin'?" she asks as she eyes him wearing only a towel held up by one hand around his waist and clutching onto the suit in the other. "That's a new look for ya. Ya never struck me as the suit an' tie type, Wolvie."

"Where. Are. My. Clothes?" he grinds out between clenched teeth.

"Ah wouldn't rightly know," she answers. "Have ya done yar laundry lately?"

"Where's Kitty?" he demands after taking a deep breath.

"Ah don't know," she replies. "It's not my turn ta watch her."

With a snarl of frustration, he spins around on his heel and marches down the hallway. She bites her lip to keep from laughing as Logan's passing causes a lot of giggling from the girls on the floor. Knowing that Kitty went off to create her alibi as soon as she was able, Rogue has no doubt to what Wolvie will find.

Following Kitty's scent through the labyrinth of hallways and staircases, he's not the least bit surprised to find himself standing in front of the Tin Man's door. Knowing that Peter could put him through a wall if he wanted, he bangs on the door instead of just barging in. He gives them maybe ten seconds before he starts banging again.

"Da?" Peter asks a bit irritably as soon as the door is open.

Though he can't see Kitty, Logan can smell her in there.

"Let me talk to Kitty," Logan growls.

"She's busy," Peter states and firmly shuts the door in Logan's face.

Before he can bang on the door again, it finally registers on his angry brain that Peter was only wear jeans and they were barely fastened. His nose finally identifies the smell of sexual arousal and he quickly leaves. Though still in a snit, he decides it'll be better to get something on and then catch the culprits later.

With determined steps he stomps down to the first level of the mansion. He ignores the fact that everyone stops and watches him as he goes marching by. He forces himself to pay no mind to the snickers and lecherous comments as he goes. He almost makes it towards his destination when a man he's never met before steps out of Ororo's office.

He stops short and stares at the stranger of slightly above average height with short curly brown hair and blue eyes. The man stares back with a rather shocked look on his face.

"Logan, why aren't you dressed?" Ororo asks as soon as she steps out of her office.

"My clothes walked off by themselves," he growls.

"What's that in your hand?" she questions.

"My towel," he snaps.

"You're other hand," she patiently points out.

"This?" he asks, finally realizing he's been dragging the suit that had been left on his bed around. "Forgot I was carrying this around. It's not mine."

"OH MY GOD!" a new voice shrieks. "My suit! What have you done to it!"

Ororo, Logan and the stranger turn towards Warren as he comes charging down the hallway towards them. His wings are half open, filling up the space around him as he grabs the suit out of Logan's hand.

"What were you doing with my suit!" Warren demands.

"Found it in my room," Logan answers none to happily.

"You've wrinkled it and gotten it all dirty!" Warren rages, his wings opening and shutting in agitation. "You do NOT just drag around a $1,000 suit! It's Armani!"

"Shut it, Birdman," Logan snarls as he brings out the claws on his now free hand and points them at Warren. "Or you'll be shredded tweet."

"Logan, please go find some clothes to put on," Ororo instructs, stepping between the two irate mutants.

"That's where I was goin' before you and this guy got in my way," Logan huffs. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Frank Wheeler," she says as she moves back towards the new man. "I've just hired him to teach here. Mr. Wheeler, this is Logan and Warren Worthington III, They're instructors here at Xavier's."

"Mr. Logan," Frank says, extending his hand despite the fact that the claws are still out. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Yea, I'm sure," Logan grumbles as he finally sheaths his claws and shakes the man's hand.

"Mr. Worthington," Frank greets as he holds his out for Warren.

"A pleasure," Warren graciously responds as if he wasn't just having a fit. "I hope our little show hasn't made you change your mind."

"No, it hasn't," Frank replies with a grin. "I'm thinking that working here will never have a dull moment."

"You could say that again," Logan grumbles. "What's your mutation?"

"Logan!" Ororo gasps.

"It's alright," Frank assures the head mistress. "It's perfectly understandable. I'm a telepath."

"We had one of them already," Logan mutters unhappily. "He's dead."

"Yes, I know," Frank replies, his smile fading. "I am sorry for your loss."

"That's a new look for you, ain't it, Wolvie?" a young woman's voice asks causing the adults to turn towards it.

"Jubilee...," Ororo starts to warn.

"Where are my clothes?" Logan demands.

"How should I know?" Jubilee replies with a shrug and a snap of her gum. "I've been in the library studying with Serena."

"At least we were until we heard yelling," Serena puts in as she comes around Jubilee.

"I know you two had something to do with my clothes," Logan growls.

"Sorry, flannel just isn't my thing," Jubilee replies as she turns around and starts heading back down the hallway. "Come on, Serena. Let's see if we can finally figure out what the big deal was behind the Alamo."

"Logan," Ororo says as she puts a restraining hand on the man who's about to go charging after the two young women. "Go get some clothes on and then we'll find out what happened to your clothes."

Grumbling something under his breath about snot nosed kids getting their asses whooped when he catches up with them, Logan storms off in search of the spare sweat clothes kept for emergencies. With a sigh and a shake of her head, Ororo turns towards Warren and sees him heading away mumbling about getting the suit to the dry cleaners pronto before the dirt and wrinkles become permanent. She turns back towards Frank with an apologetic smile on her face.

"I'm sorry about that," she starts and he waves it away.

"Not at all," he chuckles. "I believe you were about to show me my classroom."

"Of course," she replies with a smile of her own. "It's just down this hall. I hope you don't mind, I'm giving you Prof. Xavier's old classroom."

"Not at all," Frank replies as he follows her down the corridor. "It's better to use the room than just let it gather dust."

"I'm glad you feel that way," she states as she opens a door and then stops dead in her tracks.

The two of them stare in shocked silence at the clothes dumped all over the room.

"I'm going to take a wild guess here," he muses after several seconds of silence. "But I think that we've just found Mr. Logan's wardrobe."

"Welcome to Xavier's, Mr. Wheeler," she says in a voice that's between shock and chagrin.

"Thank you," he states as a grin stretches across his face. "I think I'm going to like it here."


	2. Welcome to California

**Author's notes:** Sorry for the delay. Life has not been kind lately. But here I am, writing once more and hopefully entertaining you, my dear faithful readers. A big thank you to all of my reviewers and to all of the people who put me and/or this story on their alerts. Please enjoy.

* * *

"Well?" she asks nervously

"This will do quite nicely.," the older man replies. "I'm very impressed."

"Thank you, sir," she sighs in relief. "I'll tell the others."

"I'll tell them myself," he informs her as he leaves the small room with the young woman in tow. "I've called a meeting."

"About our soon to be...'guests'?"

"Of course."

"How do you intend to get them here from New York?"

"Conveniently, they are coming to us."

"How nice of them," she states happily.

"Yes," the silver haired man with ice blue eyes purrs. "Very nice."

* * *

Contentedly he settles back in his first class seat as the plane levels out and turns the page in the magazine he's reading. Peripherally, he's aware of his lady listening to her MP3 player and trying to solve a Sudoku puzzle. He lays a hand on her thigh and she absently pats it as she concentrates on the numbers before her.

He briefly looks over and solves the entire puzzle in a matter of moments while she continues to struggle with it. He glances at her face and smiles to himself at the cute little frown of concentration he sees. He starts to lean over to nuzzle her ear just to watch her get goosebumps when a new cheerful sounding song starts.

**Faces filled with joy and cheer/**

**What a magical time of year/**

_'A Christmas song...,'_ he thinks amusedly, considering it's late May.

**Howdy-ho it's Weasel Stomping Day/**

_'Weasel what!'_

**Put your viking helmet on/**

**Spread that mayonnaise on the lawn/**

**Don't you know it's Weasel Stomping Day?/**

_'Weasel...Stomping...?'_

**All the little girls and boys/**

**Love that wonderful crunching noise/**

**You'll know what this day's about/**

**When you stomp a weasel's guts right out/**

_'Dear heavens...'_

**So come along and have a laugh/**

**Snap their weaselly spines in half/**

**Grab your boots and stomp your cares away/**

**Hip-hip-hooray it's Weasel Stomping Day/**

_'Oh my stars and garters...more crunching and squealing...'_

**People up and down the street/**

**Crushing weasels beneath their feet/**

**Why we do it, who can say/**

**But it's such a festive holiday/**

_'This is wrong...'_

**So let the stomping fun begin/**

**Bash their weaselly skulls right in/**

**It's tradition, that makes it ok/**

_'Just so wrong...'_

**Hey everyone its Weasel Stomping/**

**We'll have some fun on Weasel Stomping/**

**Put down your gun it's Weasel Stomping Daaaaaayyyy/**

**Hip-hip-hooray it's Weasel Stomping Daaaaayyy/**

**Weasel Stomping Day, Hey!**

He doesn't know if he should laugh or be appalled by that song. He finally notices that her shoulders are shaking with suppressed mirth. He gives her a glare, but it's ruined by the smile that's tugging at the corners of his mouth and she can't hold the laughter any longer.

"You should have seen the look on your face when you realized what that song was about," she snickers as she turns the MP3 player off and pulls out her ear buds.

"That song is just wrong," he grumbles, still fighting the grin that's trying to get out. "On so many levels."

"Of course it is," she gleefully tells him with a grin. "It's 'Weird' Al after all."

He shakes his head with a sigh and tries to go back to his magazine. She pushes the arm rest out of the way and snuggles up to him causing him to eye her warily. But when she turns her attention back to her puzzle with that cute little frown returning, he gladly wraps an arm around her shoulders. With another contented sigh, he relaxes into his seat with his lady love by his side.

* * *

"Sir, the flight is on time and should be arriving shortly," Motherboard states. "I've talked to the boys, they're already in place."

"Excellent," he purrs. "We'll have to make sure that they feel most..._welcome_...to California."

* * *

Despite her protests, he's carrying both of their carry on bags and happily holding her hand as they make their way through the airport. As soon as they pass through the security exit, he heads straight for the tall, thin man wearing a suit that obviously came off a rack and holding a sign reading 'McCoy' on it.

"I'm Hank McCoy," Hank tells the young man.

"Very good, sir," he replies as he neatly folds the piece of paper in his hands and puts it in his pocket. "My name is Flynn and I'll be your driver this evening. Do you have any bags to claim?"

"Just one," Hank replies and glances over at Amanda.

"So sue me, I'm a woman," she shoots back with a shrug. "It's not like I was told where we were going until we got to the airport anyways."

"If you'll follow me, please," Flynn says as he turns and starts to lead them to a set of escalators.

"How many negligees did you pack?" he softly asks as they follow their chauffeur. "Or would that be spare panties you've brought along?"

"If you think I'm going to spend my first trip to California locked in a room, you've got another thing coming, mister," she warns him with a playful glare.

"A man can dream, can't he?" he quietly snickers while they get on an escalator headed down.

"_California dreaming..._," she sings with a smile.

"It's spring, not winter," he points out.

"Who do I look like?" she retorts with grin. "'Weird' Al? I just sing them, not rewrite them."

"Life with you will never be dull, will it, my love?" he chuckles.

"I certainly hope not," she laughs as they step off of the escalator.

A short time later her rolling bag is collected and they head out towards the parking lot. Flynn keys open the trunk of a late model Lincoln Town Car and stows their luggage quickly. In short order, Hank and Amanda are comfortably seated in the back seat and they're on their way.

* * *

"Well?" he snarls.

"Patience, my dear boy," he gently reminds the heavily muscled young man. "They'll be here in good time."

"Good," he snarls. "I need to hit somethin' and soon."

"Don't worry," he assures him. "There will be plenty of hitting soon enough."

They stand there, hidden in the trees on the quiet country road, the late afternoon sunlight slanting through the trees, waiting and as expected, the silence doesn't last long.

"What about the girl?"

"What about her?"

"Do we get her afterwards?"

"Get her?"

"Ya know, ta play with...if ya get my drift."

"Why in the world would you want to sully yourself with the likes of her?"

"A man has needs."

"Yes, I was a young man once too, but even in my wild youth never did I have the urge to have relations with a barnyard animal."

"I've seen pictures of her. She's no cow."

"She's beneath you. Perhaps you should seek companionship with one of the young ladies in our little group. I believe Thorn is currently unattached."

"Yeah, I'll do that," he grumbles as he turns his attention back to the road below them.

Satisfied that the younger man has been properly chastised, he goes back to watching the road below them. He deftly ignore the other man's grumbling about stuck up bitches that don't like to 'play' rough.

* * *

He leans back in his seat and smiles to himself. Ever since they left the airport, she's practically had her nose glued to the car window. It brings hims such joy to see her so happy and to know that he's the reason she's like this makes it even better.

"Why do you have such a silly smile on your face?" she asks when she finally manages to pull herself away from watching the world go by.

"You," he answers simply as his grin goes up a notch.

"Me?" she questions with a raised eyebrow.

"I love seeing you so happy," he admits and she immediately cuddles up next to him.

"Thank you," she whispers just before she gives him a gentle kiss.

"You are most welcome, my love," he replies softly as he caresses her face.

With a contented sigh, she closes her eyes and leans into his touch. He wonders at his good fortune in finding this woman while Beast makes some less than socially acceptable suggestions on what to do with her right in the back seat of the car. Before he can squish Beast back in his proverbial cage, the car goes over a couple bumps and the sound of the road they're driving on changes. Her eyes pop open in surprise and she quickly looks around.

"Oh, we're going over the bay!" she exclaims as she quickly goes back to looking out her window.

He smiles at her again, but a second later a frown creases his brow.

"Excuse me, Flynn," he says as he leans towards the driver. "What bridge is this?"

"It's the John F. McCarthy Memorial Bridge, sir," Flynn answers, glancing back at Hank in the rear view mirror.

"Why are we on this bridge?" Hank asks. "We're heading towards Napa, not San Rafael."

"I'm sorry, sir," Flynn answers. "There was a rather large accident on the Carquinez Bridge and it's closed traffic going north. They don't think the bridge will be open until later tonight."

"Ah, I see," Hank congenially replies as he leans back in his seat. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, sir," Flynn responds, giving a quick look in the mirror again at the blue mutant.

Hank relaxes his muscles by will alone as he goes back to watching Amanda. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see their driver looking into the rear view mirror every few seconds. About half way across the bridge, Flynn stops checking on them and on the pretense of getting more comfortable, Hank slips his phone out of his pocket.

By the time they make it back to solid ground, he has his answer. He slips his phone back into his pocket just as she turns to face him again, her face absolutely glowing. He holds his arm out in invitation and she gladly cuddles up to him.

He carefully gathers her in his arms, being mindful not to make it look like nothing more than cuddling to their driver. He buries his nose in her hair and takes a very deep breath before letting it out very slowly. He tries to relax his muscles, but between his need to protect her and Beast starting to get upset, he's losing the battle.

He barely contains the trembling of his muscles as Beast yearns to be let loose. He knows there's no way she's going to miss his body tensing for battle and he hopes she remembers. She presses herself against him and buries her face into his neck.

"Who?" she breathes.

"Not sure," he murmurs in her hair. "Friends I think."

"Again?" she softly sighs, sadness tingeing her voice.

He doesn't answer as he holds her closer, closing his eyes and trying not to remember the past several run ins they've had with the Friends of Humanity. Though this is the first time that they've tried kidnapping instead of just harassing the couple. As futile as they're efforts have been, it doesn't make the situation any less dangerous.

"Ready?" he whispers and she squeezes him as tightly as she can.

"I love you," she murmurs.

She quickly moves back to her side of the car and braces herself. At the same time, he releases his seatbelt while he launches himself at their driver with a roar. The man lets out a shout of surprise as a wall of angry blue fur comes at him. Hank grabs the steering wheel and forces the car off the road, narrowly avoiding hitting any other cars on the road.

Hank uses one hand to push the drivers face against the driver's side window as he guides the vehicle into the shoulder. As soon as he feels it's safe to let go of the wheel, he turns off the car and shifts it into park. The car skids in the dirt and weeds along side the side road, causing them to spin out.

The car comes to an abrupt halt as it hits an embankment and Amanda just barely manages not to scream. Once the car stops rocking, she releases the seatbelt with a shaky hand and staggers out of the car. The driver is futilely struggling against Hank's hold on his head while the blue mutant makes sure she makes it out of the vehicle safely.

"Leave us alone," Hank snarls angrily at the driver, barely keeping Beast in check.

Hank grabs the keys out of the ignition and then follows Amanda out her door, giving no more thought to the man who dared to try and kidnap them. He follows after his love as she stomps back the way they came. He hears the driver get out of the car, but he doesn't hear the man following them, so he doesn't bother to look back at him. Just for good measure, he throws the keys into the bushes on the other side of the road.

Despite the gathering gloom caused by the setting sun, a problem compounded by the large trees towering over them, he has no problem seeing his way down the road. He knows she's having a bit more trouble and he clenches his jaw in displeasure as he notes that the side road that Flynn had taken them on was headed south, even further away from Napa Valley. It also doesn't escape his notice that there are very few cars on this road and none of them are stopping to render assistance.

After forcing himself to release the tension in his shoulders, he picks up his speed to catch up with her. He's almost to her when something from above catches his attention. He's momentarily stunned to see Flynn coming swooping out of the sky.

Flynn catches Amanda completely unawares as he grabs her and heads back up. Amanda's scream of surprise is drowned out by a roar of anger. Beast leaps at them, but misses by mere inches, further enraging the primal being.

Hank gladly gives over control as they chase after the two, all the while berating himself for not being more cautious. He furiously tries to figure out who would want to come after them, besides the Friends of Humanity. With a sinking feeling, he can only think of one mutant that would be willing to come after the two them. Magneto.


	3. Beg

**Author's Notes: ** My most humble apologies for how long it's been since I've updated. There were 2 deaths in my family within six weeks of each other last year and it's thrown me for a loop. However, it seems my muse has gotten over her grief and we're writing again. Please leave a review when you're done reading.

* * *

"Hello?" she greets into the phone.

"Hello, Moira," a man's voice softly responds.

"Ch...Frank?" she eagerly questions. "Did you make it there alright? How did the interview go?"

"Yes, my dear, everything is fine," he assures her. "I got the job."

"That's wonderful," she states, trying to sound enthusiastic. "You haven't told them. Have you?"

"No, and I think it's better this way," he replies. "He's dead. Let him stay that way."

"If you think it's best...," she hesitantly starts.

"I do," he gently, but firmly, states. "I must go now, Moira. I have lessons to prepare for."

"Ok," she sadly replies. "Call me and let me know how things are going. Will you?"

"Of course I will," he says. "I'll talk to you soon."

"Alright then," she sighs. "Goodbye, Frank."

"Goodbye, my dear."

She gently returns the handset to the cradle as soon as she hears the line disconnect. With a sad sigh, she returns to her work. She hopes he hasn't made a huge mistake returning to New York and a part of her wishes that he will fail so he has to return to her.

* * *

She can't help but let out another scream as the miserable bastard who kidnapped her drops her again. She hears a familiar roar not too far away and she attempts to twist in mid-air to try and catch a glimpse of him. She can see him leaping from the top of a tree towards her.

She cries out his name past a throat that's raw from all the times the sick jackass has dropped her only to catch her only a few feet from the ground. She reaches out for him as his hands stretch towards her. With only inches to go, she feels that familiar hand around her ankle, yanking her away from Hank.

With a shriek that's a combination of anger and frustration, she kicks at Flynn with her free foot. He just laughs at her as he climbs higher into the darkening sky. A faint roar follows them as they continue to head in a south westerly direction.

* * *

With a roar born of anger and frustration, he continues to chase after Flynn and Amanda. Beast has complete control of his body, but Hank watches out for more mundane dangers as he races across the landscape. He hasn't bothered to keep track of how many cars they've barely avoided being hit by or pools they've nearly landed in while he watches through his own eyes even though he's not the one in control.

A small part of him realizes that this is must be what it's like for Beast, living a life through someone else's eyes. However, that's a very small part of his brain as his and Beast's only goal at this moment is to get Amanda back. Preferably, he wants to get to her before Flynn gets to wherever he's heading.

With a snarl vibrating through his chest, he crosses a deserted country road. He enters the woods on the other side of the street and has a hard time seeing his quarry. Fortunately, Amanda's screaming and yelling makes it easy to keep track of them, even when the trees obscure his view.

He sees a break in the trees up ahead and puts on a burst of speed. Suddenly, a form leaps out from behind a tree and before his mind can comprehend what is going on, he's fighting a new foe. They land on the ground with a thud that shakes the earth, each fighting for dominance.

They roll around several times before Beast is finally able to come out on top. With a roar of fury, Beast starts to tear the muscle bound fool to ribbons. The man laughs at Beast while the claws continue to rain down on him.

Beast pauses, startled by the sudden unexpected noise and then finally notices his claws have done nothing but tear the man's clothes to shreds. A fist catches Beast in the side of the face, sending the blue mutant tumbling through the leaf litter. Beast uses the momentum to roll to his feet, turning to face his opponent with a growl.

Beast bares his teeth with a snarl as the other mutant casually picks himself up off of the ground. He pulls his ruined shirt off and tosses it to the side while Hank tries to understand why this man looks familiar. Beast couldn't care less as he launches himself at the other man.

"Now this is more like it," the man crows as he meets Beast head on.

It doesn't take long before Beast becomes so enraged that he's literally seeing red. The man doesn't avoid Beast's punches, but it doesn't do any good. Hank tries to convince Beast to give up this fight as it's quickly becoming apparent that they can't do damage to this particular mutant.

Unfortunately, Beast is too far gone in his blood lust to want to stop and it's not until they hear Amanda's scream of fear that causes Beast to pause.

* * *

They hang there over a clearing filled with wild flowers. He's still holding onto her by her ankle and she's having a hard time breathing. She can hear what can only be described as a wild animal fight going on in the woods a little ways off and she just knows it's Beast.

She's scared to death for him and for herself and any chance of her putting up a cold mask has been shot to hell. Tears are flowing up her forehead and into her hair which isn't helping her breathing problem any. She can't imagine why other mutants would be attacking them.

"Really, Flight, is that any way to treat our special..._guest_?" a cultured male voice asks from nearby.

She quickly blinks the tears out of her eyes as she tries to twist around to see who's talking, but doesn't see anyone below them.

"She was biting and scratching me," Flynn grumbles unapologetically. "Fight's the one with the alligator skin, not me."

"Very well," the gentleman sighs. "Leave her to me."

"Fine with me," Flynn states just before letting go of her.

She barely starts to take a breath to scream when she finds herself floating in mid air. At first she's confused, but then she realizes that it feels like her pants are being pulled off. She grabs the top of her jeans and then, suddenly, she's flipped over.

While it's a relief to no longer have the blood rushing to her head, it now feels like she's getting the mother of all wedgies. She can feel tears caused by the pain stinging her eyes and there's nothing she can do about it. She tries to wiggle around to reduce the pressure in a very sensitive place, so at first she doesn't notice the new man in front of her.

When she does notice him, riding up pants and panties are the least of her concern. She inhales sharply when recognition hits and it takes a great deal of control not to whimper. With all of the self discipline she's learned over the years, she manages to raise her chin in defiance despite her trembling hands and pounding heart.

"Erik Lensherr," she says, her voice only slightly shaky.

"Very good, my dear Miss Simon," he purrs with a smirk as the setting sun glints off of his helmet and a slight wind makes his cape billow around him. "But I really do prefer the name Magneto."

Before she can answer, they hear a roar of anger from the woods. She twists as far as she can to try and see what's going on, her heart in her throat. Her worry for him skyrockets when she can hear a man's laugh coming from the woods and it's not a happy sound.

"I think Fight has had enough of a workout, don't you?" he muses. "Time to bring the Beast to his knees."

She finds herself spinning through the air and screaming like she's never screamed before.

* * *

"MATE!" Beast roars with fury as he turns and charges towards the sound of her screaming.

The man he had been fighting tries to catch him. While the other mutant may be impervious to damage and quite possibly stronger than Beast, he most certainly isn't faster. Beast quickly leaves him far behind as he races through the woods and out into a meadow covered in wildflowers.

When he breaks free of the trees, he can see Amanda spinning end over end. With an angry bellow, he charges across the clearing and makes a leap for her. She's pulled out of his reach at the last second and his roar fills the air.

Beast is furious that she's hanging in midair above his head, just out of reach and Hank is wondering how she's staying up without Flynn to hold her. Beast paces back and forth beneath her, hunched over like a giant blue ape and never taking his eyes off of her. Hank tries to take back control, but Beast isn't willing to give up just yet.

"Well, well," a voice that Hank was dreading to hear chuckles. "It seems that your nom de guerre is well earned."

Beast simply bares his teeth and snarls at Magneto as he hovers nearby. With barely a glance, he stops Amanda's spinning, but leaves her hanging just out of reach of Beast. He watches dispassionately as Beast makes another leap for the woman only to miss by a few inches.

"Do calm yourself, Ambassador," Magneto instructs in a bored voice. "You'll get her back...eventually."

Beast just ignores him as he continues with his pacing and Magneto quirks an eyebrow up at his behavior. As tempting as it would be to just tease the blue buffoon beneath him, he really has better things to do.

"Come now, McCoy," Magneto huffs. "I do not have all the time in the world."

Beast roars at him and then takes another flying leap towards Amanda. She reaches for him in the vain hope that this time he'll make it. The breath is knocked out of her as she feels herself jerked upwards several feet. She knows why Hank isn't responding and she can't imagine letting Beast continue to control his body helping their situation.

"Please, I need Hank," she whispers, still trying to catch her breath and ignoring the queasiness in her belly from being spun around like a top.

Magneto barely hears her soft plea and he looks at her quizzically. She never notices his gaze as her eyes are on the blue mutant beneath her. Magneto never sees the shudder that runs through Hank's body just before he stands erect and glares at the other mutant.

"Let her go, Magneto," Hank orders. "This is between you and me."

"Ah, that's more like it," Magneto happily states as he looks down at Hank. "She'll be released all in good time."

"She'll be released now!" Hank boldly states. "She hasn't done you any wrong."

"True," Magneto replies. "However, she does have her uses...so far."

"What do you want?" Hank growls as he starts to walk, forcing Magneto to turn to watch him.

"I want you to beg," Magneto tells him, his voice turning dangerous.

Hank doesn't pause, but drops to his knees.

"Please, let her go," Hank pleads. "Your fight is with me. Take your anger out on me and let her go. Please."

"That was much too easy," Magneto grumbles. "Have you no pride, Ambassador?"

"Not where she's concerned," Hank responds.

"You really do care for her," Magneto states with a slightly bemused tone of voice. "Why?"

"You really need to ask that?" Hank asks, spreading his arms to indicate his appearance.

"Interesting point," Magneto replies with a bit of a smirk. "But what if that all changed? Would she still mean as much to you?"

"You had better not be planning on doing to her as you did to Senator Kelly," Hank growls in warning.

"Not her, dear boy," Magneto chuckles as he pulls something out from under his cloak. "You."

Hank slightly frowns at the object in Magneto's hand until the hovering mutant releases it and it slowly floats down to him. It's a syringe and Hank has no doubt what is in it. He can feel his heart pounding against his ribs and Beast rages in his head, desperately trying to take over.

"How is this punishment?" Hank inquires, a slightly amused look on his face. "Besides, as you well know, this is only temporary."

"I'm well aware of its lack of staying power," Magneto retorts as he becomes only marginally aware of Amanda squirming around a few feet away from him. "I want you know what it feels like to be completely helpless. The rage of no longer having your abilities to call upon when you need them most."

"Sort of like what it must have felt for Mystique when you left her lying there, naked on the floor, after she had taken a dart for you," Hank responds calmly. "If rumor is to believed, she still holds a bit of a grudge against you for that. Rumor also has it that you've been looking for her and that the last mutant you sent after her barely escaped with her life. But that's just rumor."

"Remember whose life I hold in my hands, Ambassador," Magneto snarls.

Amanda lets out a squeak of surprise when she's suddenly flipped over. However, this time she doesn't waste time trying to keep her pants on. In fact, she has her shoes toed off and the button of her jeans undone within moments of being flipped over.

She yells for Hank as she goes into free fall, knowing that he'll catch her. In the blink of an eye, she feels him grabbing her in mid air. He quickly gets her to wrap her arms and legs around his torso as he holds her close and runs for all he's worth towards the trees.

He can hear Magneto yelling at the other mutants nearby, but he ignores them. He feels Beast sliding up next to him and he readily allows it. He knows that at any second he may have to give control over to his primal self to keep her safe.

If he can get to the woods, he's fairly sure he can lose them. With Beast urging him on, he pushes himself beyond what he thought he was capable of. He can see the woods just a few yards away when something stabs him right next to his shoulder blade.

He roars in pain as his body feels like it's on fire and his legs give out beneath him. He barely manages to twist himself in mid fall so that he doesn't land on her. Whatever is in his back is driven farther in when he lands and he screams in agony.

He can't help but writhe around on the ground as it feels like every nerve in his body is on fire. He never hears her yelling his name or her hands on him, trying to pull him to his feet. An eternity later, the pain subsides enough that he's no longer screaming or thrashing around. His breath comes in great gasps while his body trembles from the aftershock of the burning hell he's just gone through and he can feel tears on his face.

It takes him several moments to realize someone is calling his name and pulling on him. He blinks the tears out of his eyes and blearily looks up at his assailant only to realize that it's a nearly hysterical Amanda. He reaches for her and then stops to stare at his hand.

The blue fur and claw like nails are gone. He realizes that Amanda's voice sounds like it's going through cotton stuffed in his ears. He takes a deep breath through his nose and it's almost like his sense of smell is completely gone.

He can still feel the needle of the syringe stuck in his back, but he doesn't have time to worry about that. He shakily pushes himself up and she grabs a hold of his arm, trying to get him to stand up. He gets to his feet and wobbles there for a second before stumbling towards the trees.

She tries to pull him along, not caring that she's barely dressed and only has socks on her feet. They have to get out of there before Magneto and his goons catch up with them. She glances at him worriedly, noting the sweat beading on his brow and his drunken way of walking.

She puts his arm over her shoulders and tries to steady him with an arm around his waist while continuing to move them forward. She's fairly sure it's hopeless, but she's not giving up without a fight. They only get a few steps when she feels something sharp slam into her upper arm. She looks down at what hit her and immediately starts screaming.

He's so disoriented from his transformation that it takes him a moment to realize that she's in trouble. He looks over at her to see why she's carrying on so and it's not until he sees the needle sticking out of her arm that he understands. He tries to make a grab for the syringe, but the combination of her panicking and his uncoordinated state has them tripping over each other's feet.

He barely manages to turn them so he ends up on the bottom when they fall. He bites back a yelp of pain as the needle still lodged in his back is driven in further. Her thrashing around isn't helping any while he tries to out muscle her so he can get the needle out.

It takes several tries to finally grab hold of the syringe and yank it out of her arm, throwing it as far away as possible. Once it's gone, she turns and starts sobbing into his chest. He has no more strength to run and just holds her to him.

A few moments later he realizes they're no longer alone. He looks over at the other mutants and finally realizes why the mutant he was fighting earlier looked familiar. Standing next to Flynn, it's obvious that the muscle bound jerk is more than likely their driver's brother.

"There was no reason to give her the Cure," Hank snarls and tries not to notice how weak he sounds. "She's human."

"Well, she most certainly is now," Magneto replies with a smirk, still hovering above them. "It never hurts to be sure."

"Please, let her go," Hank begs again, ignoring the way her arms tighten around him.

"And have her go running to the X-Men?" Magneto counters. "I think not."

Before Hank can come up with a response, Magneto turns his back on them and starts to float away.

"Fight, Flight, show our _guests_ to their rooms," Magneto orders over his shoulder.

There's a brief struggle as the couple try to hold onto each other, but in the end, the mutants win. Hank watches helplessly as Flynn flies off with a defeated Amanda in his arms, her pants flung over his shoulder. After having his pockets emptied, Hank is half marched, half dragged across the meadow filled with wildflowers and he couldn't care less about the beauty of the land around him.

Soon, he sees where they're headed and it strikes him as oddly surreal. The most notorious mutant in the world is living in a two story farm house, complete with white washed shutters and a porch with a swing. As they come through the front door, he sees several mutants watching their progress, including none other than Pyro.

Before he can open his mouth to talk to the young man, he's dragged down a set of stairs into the basement. He frowns at the small space and he wonders if they intend to leave the two of them in this small area. He quickly takes note of their surroundings, the two sets of empty shelves against one wall, a washer and dryer, water heater and a deep sink take up most of what little floor space there is.

He starts to calculate a way to escape when he notices Flynn slipping out from behind a set of shelves without Amanda or her pants. Before he can demand to know what's become of her, Fight drags him towards the second set of shelves. He presses a hidden button and there's a soft 'click' as shelves move slightly away from the wall on one side.

Hank's quickly shoved through the small opening before he can open his mouth to object. He finds himself in a small cell that's maybe five feet by eight feet. There's a narrow cot against the wall across from him with a toilet and sink to the right. However, it's the chair bolted to the floor in front of a wall of Plexiglas that has his utmost attention.

He looks to his left and he can see into the room next to his. It's much smaller than his, maybe five feet by five feet, if that. The only light is coming from the cell next to his and he knows he's looking through a two way mirror. He can see that the neighboring room's walls are all mirrors with a concrete floor with a drain in the center and the ceiling has several rows of florescent tube lighting.

He can see Amanda in there, banging against the walls and yelling at the top of her lungs to be let out, her jeans lying forgotten on the floor. He can hear her clearly and he figures there must be speakers somewhere in his cell and a microphone in hers. He bangs on the Plexiglas, calling her name. After a few minutes he realizes that it's hopeless, that she can't hear him.

He slowly sinks down into the chair and helplessly watches as she continues to yell her demands for a few minutes more. Eventually, she gives up and goes to put her pants back on. He can see that familiar cold mask on her face as she glares at the wall she knows contains the door. After a while, she slowly sinks down to the ground and sits with her back to the wall. When she looks up at the ceiling, blinking as she stares at those annoyingly bright lights, he has to wonder what she sees up there.

"Please, God, don't let them hurt Hank," he hears her whisper through the speakers and his heart nearly breaks in two.


	4. Uses

**Author's notes**: My sincerest apologies to my dear, dear readers. I haven't forgotten you or this story, but my life in the past year has not been an easy one. Hopefully, the creative juices will keep flowing and I'll be able to update more often. To everyone who has reviewed and/or add this story to their alerts/favorites, you have my heartfelt thanks. Please enjoy and leave a review when you're done.

* * *

"Do we have a deal then?" he casually asks the younger man as he leans back in his desk chair, mindful not to disrupt the helmet on his head.

"Works for me," the younger man replies with a bored shrug, pretending that the helmet doesn't bother him. "When can I see her?"

"How about now?" he inquires with a self satisfied smirk.

"Now would be perfect," he nearly purrs.

* * *

His feet are cold. Why are his feet cold? He doesn't know and he doesn't care.

His back hurts. Why does his back hurt? He doesn't know and he doesn't care.

He continues to stare at her in her mirrored prison while his tries to figure a way to get her out of there. His mind runs through so many scenarios, all of which are impossible without his mutation. He never imagined that he would miss having Beast raging in his head.

After watching her pace in her small cell for what seems like an eternity, he finally looks down at his feet. He stares at them for a good minute before it registers on his brain why his feet are cold. His shoes are missing and his socks have been so badly ruined that they're nothing more than bits of cloth wrapped around his ankles.

He vaguely remembers losing the shoes in his race to try and reach her in time. His socks didn't stand a chance of surviving once the shoes were gone. How odd it is to see his feet without blue fur.

Just the small movement of looking down sends a searing pain through his back. It originates near his shoulder blade and it takes him a few moments to think why that is. Oh right. The needle from the syringe is still in his back.

He tries to reach it, but it's no use. It's in that spot that's impossible to reach without being a lot more flexible than a normal human. Pulling at his shirt in hopes that it'll pull it out is no use and he can feel a small amount of blood trickling down his back.

With a sad sigh, he returns his attention to her and sees that she's still pacing the room. The way she's rubbing her hands up and down her arms and he realizes that she must be trying to warm up. He would like nothing better than to wrap her in his arms to keep her warm.

His feet are cold from the concrete floor that they're on, but the temperature in his cell is just fine. He has all the basic amenities of a jail cell, but it's a lot more than she has. He needs to get her out of there, but without his mutation, he has only his wits. The shock of losing his mutation and his worry for her means that his wits aren't all they should be.

Still, he tries to think of a way to get her out of this mess or at least more comfortable accommodations. Ideas whirl around in his head like angry bees, but they're of no use. Each one is pushed aside as the common denominator of each one requires his now non-existent mutation. He sits there, staring at her, not sure what to do.

When he hears the door open, he's on his feet in an instant, hoping that he's ready for what may be the negotiation of his life.

...or more precisely, hers.

* * *

"What's he doing here?" the young man demands just before they head down into the basement.

"Let us call him...insurance," the older man easily responds as the door to the basement opens on its own.

"We don't need him," he insists grumpily. "I can handle her just fine on my own."

"Yes, I'm sure that you can," the gentleman assures the younger man. "But I like to hedge my bets."

With that, the older man heads down into the basement. The young man glares at the muscle bound cretin in front of him before him before turning and heading down the stairs himself. Fight just smirks at the smaller mutant, knowing he could wipe the walls with the little snot and not even get warmed up.

The young man looks around the small area, wondering where they've hidden her or if this is some sort of sick trick. Because if it's a trick, he'll be out of there so fast it'll make that stupid helmet on the old guy spin. Before he can demand where she is, there's a faint 'click' and the empty set of shelves on the right suddenly start to swing open.

"Give me a moment and then you can see her," the gentleman instructs before disappearing behind the shelves.

He starts to follow, but is stopped by a large, meaty hand on his shoulder. Deciding he'd rather have this jerk groveling at his feet than getting into a fight with him, he turns on the charm.

"I don't believe I caught your name," he says as he turns around with a smile.

"I'm Fight," the bigger mutant proudly claims.

"Rather unimaginative name," he states.

"Yeah, well, my brother is Flight," Fight replies with a happy smile, so glad that this little guy has noticed him.

"Why did you stop me from following?" he asks. "I just want to see my...lady friend."

"Because she ain't in there," Fight easily answers and then points at the other set of shelves. "She's behind the other shelves. Her boyfriend's in there."

"You've got McCoy in there?" he questions in surprise. "How much sedative did you have to use?"

"None," Fight cheerfully responds. "We gave him the Cure."

"Really now," he nearly purrs, thoughts of revenge start forming in his head.

Before more can be said, there's another soft 'click' and the shelves on the left swing open. He immediately heads for the door, not even waiting for an invitation. It's time for some retribution.

* * *

"Please, I beg you, let her go," Hank starts without preamble.

"I can't very well have her going to the X-Men, now can I?" Magneto replies.

"Then at least lock her in regular room," Hank begs. "You can keep her under lock and key with a guard."

"And put one of my own out of his or her room?" Magneto scoffs. "I can hardly ask one of them to do that. Besides, there's no guarantee that she won't simply try to escape through the window."

"Then switch us," Hank continues as he points towards the room that's so easily seen through the Plexiglas. "Let her have this room and I'll take that one."

"No, I think I like her right where she is," Magneto smiles as he watches the woman pace back in forth in her small chamber.

"She hasn't done you any wrong," Hank reminds him. "Her only crime is loving me."

"As I stated before, she has her uses," Magneto replies with a bit of a smirk.

Before Hank can come up with a response, there's the sound of a quiet 'click' coming through the speakers. Hank quickly spins around to look into her cell and can see a section of mirror swing in. The man who walks into the room makes Hank's heart pound with worry and dread.

* * *

"About damn time," she snaps as she marches towards the opening.

"Yes, I'll say that it is," says the man who walks through the door.

"James," she hisses, pausing in mid step and not the least bit happy to see this particular mutant.

"In the flesh," he happily replies as holds his arms open wide, expecting her to just walk into them.

"Out of my way, you little creep," she snarls as she grabs the front of his shirt and drags him out of her way.

He's so startled by her reaction, despite him having his powers on, he doesn't stop her. He finds himself sprawled out on the hard concrete floor, his hands stinging from the fall. He can't believe that she was able to resist his powers. He thought the day in court where he lost the law suit was just a fluke.

Angrily, he pushes himself off of the floor and goes to follow her out the door. He hears her scream in anger and frustration a few seconds before Fight comes in carrying a biting and scratching Amanda. He drops her back in the cell and then stands guard at the open door, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Quite the little spitfire, isn't she?" James congenially asks Fight with a smile on his face.

Fight doesn't answer him and instead just scowls at the smaller man. The little flea isn't worth the dirt on his shoes as far as the larger mutant is concerned. Magneto had warned him about this guy and he's not the least bit happy about having this insignificant squirt using his powers on him.

"How are you doing it?" James snarls, turning on her as she picks herself up off the floor. "How are you stopping my powers?"

She just gives him a cold hard stare and says nothing. She doesn't dare give away that the answer to his question is hanging around her neck.

"You're not a mutant," he growls. "Magneto made sure of that. Maybe he didn't give you enough."

She pales at the thought of another needle coming at her and she can feel a cold sweat form on her forehead, despite the coldness of the room. She decides that she needs to get hold of the situation and thinking about sharp pointy things isn't going to help her.

"I demand to be released," she states, turning her attention to the mutant who obviously has more muscles than brains. "Kidnapping and holding me against my will are both against the law."

"You ain't goin' nowhere, sweet cheeks," Fight replies with a sneer, giving her a lecherous look.

"Where's Hank?" she demands. "You do realize that the Cure will eventually wear off and he'll rip this place apart to get to me."

"Lookin' forward to it," he retorts as his sneer turns into a rather evil grin. "Wouldn't mind goin' a few more rounds with him."

Before she can come up with a retort, Magneto's voice reaches them, calling Fight and James out of the cell.

"I need a bathroom!" she demands, before they leave.

"That's what the hole's for," Fight laughs as he drags a still fuming James out of the room.

The door is shut before she can reach it and she spends more time and energy screaming, yelling and hitting it. After running out of steam, she steps back and as a nervous habit, grabs hold of the pendent on her necklace while she eyes the drain in the middle of the floor. He couldn't possibly be serious about the hole.

* * *

"She's right, you know," Hank states after her claim that he'll rip the place apart. "The Cure is temporary."

"I think we have a while yet," Magneto chuckles as he turns to go. "I can assure you that it'll be some time before I or any of my Brotherhood start losing sleep over you 'tearing this place apart'."

With a self satisfied smirk, he turns and leaves, securing the door behind him. Hank turns back to the see through wall as Fight and James start to leave. He hears the comment about the hole and his stomach sinks to vicinity of his cold feet.

* * *

"Well, that was less than exemplary," Magneto states in a displeased voice. "Perhaps you aren't the man for the job."

"Now, don't be sayin' that, Boss," Fight interjects as he pats James on the back and nearly sends him sprawling. "My buddy James did his best. That stupid cow just doesn't know what a nice guy he is. Maybe give him another chance to win her over."

"Well, at least we know your powers work on the simple minded," Magneto nearly growls. "Fight, we no longer have need of your muscle. You may go."

Fight hesitates and looks over to James. James gives him a small nod and the large mutant heads back upstairs. His head hangs down and he acts like a beaten puppy.

"While it appears that you have the ability to control some people, you obviously had no control over her," Magneto continues once Fight has shut the door. "The lady I need you to persuade will do more than knock you to the floor. She'll kill you if given the chance."

"She'll do what I want, trust me," James heatedly shoots back. "She'll paint herself purple with pink polka dots and run naked through Times Square if I want her to."

"However, your little demonstration back in that cell was...shall we say...lackluster," Magneto reminds him.

"I don't understand what went wrong," James sputters as he paces around the small space. "I was able to control her at the ball, but since then...McCoy! He's done something to her. Made her immune to my powers. Maybe the dose you gave her had gone bad...or maybe it wasn't enough."

"I gave her the same dosage as I gave McCoy and it was from the same bottle," Magneto sternly replies. "Trust me, the Cure worked just fine. It's not a mutation that's blocking your powers, but something else. McCoy didn't react to you and for that matter, neither did Fight once you were near her. There's shielding around their rooms, so whatever it is, doesn't effect you out here. Most interesting. I'll have to think about this."

"I can still do the job you want," James insists and Magneto gives a long, hard stare.

"Yes, I believe you can," Magneto finally agrees.

"When do you want me to leave?" James asks. "I know my powers didn't work around Amanda, but it's gotta be something McCoy did. No on else has ever been able to ignore me like that."

"You'll leave in the morning," Magneto instructs. "Motherboard will give you the information you need. Once you've made contact, if you can control her, bring her back here."

"Ok, that'll...," James starts while Magneto turns and heads up the stairs.

"Oh, and Jones?" Magneto casually calls over his shoulder. "Your little demonstration with Fight not withstanding, I expect you to never use your powers on anyone in my group ever again. Especially the ladies. Otherwise, I'll make sure that the first thing McCoy tears up when the Cure wears off is you."

"Fine," James nearly snarls.

"And one other thing," Magneto continues.

"What?" James snaps.

"If you are unable to control the lady in question and bring her back to me, don't bother coming back," Magneto states and then finishes ascending the stairs.

A moment later, the door at the top of the stairs softly clicks shut and James glares at it. Then he figures that since he's down here, he might as well have another go at Amanda. Now that he knows that she'll come at him swinging, he'll be prepared for it. Maybe some 'quality' time alone with her will help him figure out why he has no effect on her.

He spins around towards the shelves on the left and gives them a tug. He belatedly realizes that he has no idea how to get them open. It's entirely possible that only Magneto can open the damn things.

He spends several minutes trying to figure out how to get the damn thing to open with no luck. He kicks and bangs on the shelves, only in succeeding in hurting his hand. With one final snarl, he gives it one last kick and then heads back upstairs.

He slinks back to the room that was assigned to him and has a good pout. A short time later, a woman in her mid-twenties with short bright green hair arrives with his itinerary. He grumbles his thanks, knowing that he won't be able to bed any of the women in the house.

Once she's gone, he starts looking over the papers. There is the electronic ticket for his flight out already printed out, plus confirmation for a hotel and rental car. On another sheet of paper is the last known address for his target, where she's working and a picture of the form she's currently using.

Then it occurs to him. Magneto said not to use his powers on anyone in his group. However, this lady he's so interested in isn't part of his group, now is she?

With a sly smile, he realizes that maybe this little adventure won't be a complete bust.

* * *

Tears run down his face as he helplessly sits in his chair with his head in his hands. She's off in a corner crying in shame. After a couple of hours since Magneto, James and Fight paid a visit, the needs of her bladder finally over came her dignity and she used the damn hole.

He hadn't watched, but the speakers in his cell made sure he heard. Her quiet sobs all but rip his heart out. He blames himself for her being in the predicament and all he can hope is that someone will realize they're missing. While he knows that normal police wouldn't stand a chance in finding them, there's always a hope that the X-Men will find out and come looking for them. It's a slim chance, but it's the only one they've got.

Meanwhile, a few miles from where Hank forced the car off of the road, a family is settling down for the evening, reading one final bedtime story, getting a last drink of water and sweet kisses goodnight to the little ones. Then Mom and Dad cuddle up on the couch to watch the news before heading off to bed themselves. As the last light is turned off, their begonias start to play Beethoven's Fifth symphony...the ring tone for Hank's cell phone.


End file.
